Residents of Seongju-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on Sunday reached a consensus to request the Defense Ministry to consider an alternate spot other than the area's Seongsan-ri to locate the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.

The local committee on the retraction of the THAAD deployment in Seongju held an emergency meeting in the afternoon and voted on the “alternate location” option, backing down from their initial position that the government should scrap the plan completely.

Seoul and Washington made a joint decision in July to deploy the advanced antimissile battery at an artillery base in Seongsan-ri to protect against North Korea’s ballistic missile threats.

But the plan had sparked concerns over possible adverse effects on human health and the natural environment, especially as the mentioned spot is just 1.5 kilometers away from residential areas.

President Park Geun-hye recently said that it was possible to consider the relocation of THAAD within Seongju, after requests from Seongju-based politicians including Rep. Yi Wan-young of the ruling Saenuri Party.

One of the most prominent candidates for an alternative spot has been a Lotte-owned golf course in the adjacent Chojeon-myeon, which is further from residential areas than the artillery base.

The committee has since then been split over retaining its initial demand and opting for the “plan B.” Sunday’s meeting was adjourned with 23 for, one against the plan B option while nine forfeited.

The focal point of the committee’s agreement was threefold; for the ministry to review a place besides Seongsan-ri, cancel plan to dismantle the committee and for the committee members’ collective action.

But the Defense Ministry did not address the request, saying it will make a statement when an official request is made via Seongju county office.

The county office is expected to make the official request on Monday.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)